Your relationship with your primary care provider (PCP) is one of the most important ones in your health care journey. A PCP is your medical “home.” They’re the doctor you will likely interact with the most. And they can work with you on your health goals and challenges.
They can also help you save on medical costs. In fact, people people with a PCP save 33% on healthcare costs over those who only see a specialist.
Choosing a PCP who’s right for you can seem difficult. With so many options available in North Carolina, it can be hard to know where to start. Use the below decision tree to help navigate this decision.
You may prefer to pay more for an out-of-network doctor of your choice. Or you may have flexibility in things like convenience. But we hope this chart is a starting point to help guide your choice.
For those using screen readers, this decision tree directs you to find a PCP who:
- Is in-network
- Is currently accepting new patients (or has a waitlist if not)
- Specializes in any diseases or conditions you need to focus on (or is a general or family physician if you don’t require this)
- Has a treatment approach that makes sense to you
- Meets your age and gender requirements, if applicable
- Offers telehealth or an online portal, if important to you
- Is conveniently located
- Can work with your schedule
The post Your guide to choosing a primary care doctor who’s right for you appeared first on Point of Blue.
